Vanuatu apponits Nalin Nipiko as captain

Dubai [UAE], Nov 11 : Nalin Nipiko was appointed as captain of Vanuatu men’s cricket national team by the country’s board on Monday.

Nipiko succeeds Andrew Mansale who led his team in 14 T20Is and had stepped down from the captaincy role last week; however, the all-rounder intends to keep playing international cricket.

The 31-year-old reflected on his tenure as Vanuatu’s captain and felt it was the right time to hand over the responsibility to a youngster, International Cricket Council (ICC) stated.

“It was an honour to be able to captain the Vanuatu National Men’s Cricket team for as long as I did and I feel that I have had a good run but I also feel that it is time to hand over the captaincy to one of the younger guys with fresh ideas and with the capacity to continue taking Vanuatu Cricket forward,” Mansale said in a statement on Vanuatu’s Cricket official Facebook page on November 7.

“I will miss making decisions in the field, naming the team, coffee, and discussions with coaches and most of all leading the team as the captain but I know it is the right decision and the future is bright for the team. Thank you,” the statement added.

Twenty-four-year-old Nipiko played in 14 T20Is and amassed 312 runs with an average of 26.00 and 24 wickets to his name.

Vanuatu recently participated in the ICC CWC Challenge League Group A, and although they finished last in the tournament, they pulled off a surprise win against Malaysia, bowling them out for 52 after setting up a paltry 66-run target. In the same tournament, Nipiko top-scored in a match with a 96-ball 77 against Singapore, his best List A score.